Passion Unleashed:
Solopreneurship!
# 13: Searching For Purpose
Part 2: The Jack Cranfield Way
Published Date
27 January 2025
Author
Michelle Knight,
The Life Passion Coach
Category
Mindset Transformation
Today, I’ll be talking about another one of the myriad of ways you can find your Ikigai, or your purpose in life. This is a continuation from episode 8, where I told you I’m going to review 6 of the most popular methodologies in a 6-part series. Well this week is part 2 in the series and I’m exploring Jack Cranfield’s method of how to find your life purpose. To find out more, you’ll have to read on.
Bonjour mes amis et bienvenue! I am The Life Passion Coach, Michelle Knight. I’m a semi retired solopreneur digital nomad, a passport stamp collector and an avid reader and motorcyclist. Today I want to talk to you about another one of the myriad of ways you can find your Ikigai, or your purpose in life. This is a continuation from episode 8, where I told you I’m going to review 6 of the most popular methodologies in a 6-part series. Well this week is part 2 in the series and I’m exploring Jack Cranfield’s method of how to find your life purpose.
For those of you who don’t know who Jack Cranfield is, he is an american author and motivational speaker and he is the co-author of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series and the founder of the Chicken Soup For the Soul Entertainment company. Jack has dedicated his career to inspiring millions of people around the world to live with purpose, break through their limitations, and reach their highest potential. For over 40 years, he has been teaching entrepreneurs, educators, corporate leaders, and people from all walks of life how to create the life they desire.
Jack calls himself “a teacher; a truth seeker; a Story Teller; and a life changer.” He states his mission is: “to inspire and empower people to live their highest vision in a context of love and joy”. He has also been a featured guest on 1,000+ radio and television programs including on Oprah, national magazines, popular blogs, and award-winning podcasts. He also has his own blog and podcast, and last year he turned 80, so this year he has decided is his last year of delivering live training as he is retiring.


Importance of Finding Your Purpose
Finding your purpose in life is the ultimate antidote to feeling lost and alone. When you are living your purpose, you have a greater sense of doing satisfying work that makes a difference and is valued by others and gives you a stronger sense of being connected to the world around you. And because it’s work you love, you’ll be more willing to invest the time and energy required to go above and beyond and become really great at what you do. Which means you’ll be more successful at it!
Not only that – living your purpose requires you to set meaningful goals, achieve self-efficacy, and keep learning and growing throughout your life. You’ll also be more likely to look out for your own well-being and lead a healthy life – because you know that you have to take care of yourself if you want to take care of others (including friends and family).
Without a clear sense of purpose, it’s easy to get sidetracked on your journey through life. Some people spend their whole lives aimlessly going off in all directions because they have no guiding principle pointing them toward a life that will truly make them happy. Once you know what your purpose in life is, you can use it as a compass to lead you in the right direction.
For some of us, discovering the purpose of life is easy. We’re born with a set of obvious talents and through persistent practice, we develop our talents into skills. For others, it’s not so obvious. So, here are the 10 steps Jack recommends to get a strong sense of what’s most important to you and find purpose in your own life:
1. Examine what you enjoy doing
You can start by looking into two things to find your passion or purpose:
First, what do you enjoy doing? Second, what do you naturally excel at?
Even the most talented musician needs to practice, so just because you enjoy something and it’s simple doesn’t mean you won’t have to put in the work to get better at it. However, it should seem natural, like rowing downstream rather than upstream. Suffering is not necessary, but hard work is.
2. Discover which personality traits you most enjoy expressing.
What are the first two characteristics that you appreciate expressing in the world? Jack’s personal examples would be passion and delight. Next, consider: What are the two ways you most like exhibiting these qualities? Helping and empowering others is Jack’s aim in life. In his coaching programs, he assists people and empowers them by teaching them effective success techniques that they can use in their own life. So, which traits do you find joy in expressing?
3. Create a Life Purpose Statement
Take a moment to imagine your vision of a better future. Then combine your two qualities and how you enjoy expressing them with your vision of the reality you want to create. For example, in Jack’s perfect world, everyone has all they need to be happy and is living their most ideal vision. That’s why Jack’s life purpose statement is, “Helping and empowering people to live their ideal life in a context of passion and joy.” So, how can you use your best qualities to create the future you want to live in?
4. Decide Where You Want to Go
To further clarify your purpose in life, use powerful mindset tools such as meditation, affirmations, and visualization to illuminate the best path forward. These tools help you focus and make it easier for you to listen to your “inner voice” and use joy as your compass to confirm whether you are heading in the right direction.
5. Be Clear About Your Life Purpose
Take some time to think honestly about where you are in your life and where you want to be. What is your financial status? How are your relationships going? How is your health? (And so on…)
Next, think about where you would like to be. If your life was perfect right now, what would it look like? What kind of job would you have and where would you be living? By continually doing this exercise, you’ll send powerful triggers to your subconscious mind to help you get there. When you present your goals to the universe you will be surprised by what it delivers!
6. Conduct a Passion Test
What are you most passionate about?
Your purpose is based on the things you care most about. So, if you’re still finding it difficult to get a clear idea of your purpose in life, you may want to complete The Passion Test.
It starts by asking you to complete the following statement in 15 different ways: “When my life is ideal, I am ____________.” The word(s) you choose to fill in the blank must be an action statement.
Then you can work on honing your 15 statements down to your top five passions in life. Then, explore your top five passions in greater detail and determine how well you are currently pursuing them in your life. Once you complete your Passion Test, it will be easier for you to clarify your purpose in life and create action plans to turn your dreams into reality.
7. Conduct a Joy Review
When have you experienced your greatest moments of happiness in life?
By analyzing the things you loved the most about your experiences and other activities, you may be able to realize what you need most in life to experience true fulfilment. Create a life goals list that will allow you to focus on bringing joy and fulfilment into your life.
8. Take Time For Yourself
It doesn’t make sense to kill yourself to save others. For some of us, that’s exactly what we have been doing. Especially if you have kids and always put them first. If you continue to deny your own happiness and fulfillment in order to put others’ needs first, the stress and unhappiness can lead you to an early grave. You need to know that you have the right to take care of your needs first – as the airline safety brief says: “put on your own oxygen mask first, before helping others.”
9. Align Your Goals With Your Life Purpose
The best way to live your purpose is to pursue goals that are entirely in alignment with that purpose. This means personal as well as professional goals. You want to make sure that your words and actions – right down to your personal branding – are an expression of your purpose and are fully aligned with your values and the kind of world you want to create.
10. Lean Into Your True Life Purpose
The good news is, when it comes to discovering the purpose of life and living your life fully in alignment with it, you don’t need to overhaul your life all at once. Instead, just lean into it. Start living your purpose a little more each day, and pay attention to the feedback you’re receiving from others, the results you’re producing, and how you’re feeling. You may be surprised at the results you get – and how good it feels to be showing up in a way that resonates with your values and passion!
So What is Your Life Purpose?
Close your eyes and imagine what a “perfect world” looks like to you. What does this vision look like? How is everyone interacting with each other? What does it feel like? Once the vision is clear in your mind, open your eyes and write down your answer as a statement in the present tense. Then write down how you are going to use your best qualities (and how you love to express them) to make that perfect existence a reality – and then you will have your life purpose statement! Once you have written it, be sure to put it somewhere you can read and visualize it every day. Now, watch for opportunities to live your purpose and create that reality wherever you are.
Summary
Jack Cranfield’s philosophies revolve around the power of positive thinking, goal setting, and persistence. Jack emphasizes that “you only have control over three things in your life – the thoughts you think, the images you visualize, and the actions you take”. He believes that by focusing on these elements, individuals can achieve their goals and lead fulfilling lives.
Canfield’s ideas also stress the importance of gratitude, self-esteem, and overcoming fear. He often quotes, “Gratitude is the single most important ingredient to living a successful and fulfilled life” and “Everything you want is on the other side of fear”. His teachings encourage people to “act as if you are already where you want to be” and to “persist, no matter how hard it seems”. Canfield’s work inspires many to take control of their lives and strive for success through positive action and mindset.
This is a man after my own heart, as some of his quotes reflect and reinforce my own philosophies. In conclusion, I would like to invite you to start every day with one simple sentence: “Today is going to be a great day”. I suggest you say this right after you get up and put your feet on the floor, before you stand and put your weight on your feet. Do this simple habit for long enough and you will notice that you have a more positive mindset and outlook on your life.
That’s about all from me today. I just wanted to reiterate the key point to remember here is that your thoughts create your emotions, and your emotions dictate what actions you take. Your actions then determine your results. Therefore, if you can change your thoughts to positive ones, you can eventually change your results to positive ones too.
I’m still giving away FREE to you, one of my two Freedom Pursuit Checklists – either the “Nomad Nirvana: Your Starter Checklist to Freelance Freedom” or the “Side Hustle Serenity: Your Checklist to a Profit Partners Passion”. If you are interested in the details of the Freedom Pursuit Checklists, just go to my website and click on the button to fill out the form and receive the checklist you chose. Just remember, big change requires big support, and I’m here to help you through the transition from the rat race you’re running now to the passionate, fulfilled life you want for yourself.
Thank you for reading this BLOG post of the “Freedom Unleashed: Solopreneurship” Broadcast. Believe in yourself and trust the process. Always look for new opportunities and be open to change. Enjoy the journey and make the most of it. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Take the first step, embrace the journey, and rediscover the excitement and purpose that life has to offer. Until next time, stay passionate.
I will leave you with my final thoughts:
BDK – Be Brave, Be Different and Be Kind. Remember: Laughter is the answer to everything.
Je vous remercie et je vous souhaite une bonne journée.
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